


Left in the Dark

by Viridian5



Category: Once a Thief (TV)
Genre: Drama, Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-12-11
Updated: 1999-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-02 09:29:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viridian5/pseuds/Viridian5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victor asks for a favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for "The Last Temptation of Vic."
> 
> I'm so glad the spraying is over. Listening to the helicopters suddenly buzzing overhead as I wondered if they were spraying a possibly cancer-causing chemical with no advance warning made my thoughts very Nathan-like...
> 
> Thanks to tyen/TeHb for help on the Spoilers.

Victor's arm always felt so solid under Nathan's fingers. Nathan sat as close as he dared and said, "They're spraying insecticide against mosquitoes at odd hours without warning the citizens. My sources say that New Yorkers have learned to look for cover or close their windows whenever they hear helicopters. First the New York City government claimed it was to stop encephalitis, then West Nile virus. The government claims the insecticide is harmless to humans, but people are understandably nervous, especially since it's named _mal_athion. It seems like an uncharacteristically open and heavy-handed move for the council to make, but I was wondering if you--"

Something seemed to spark in Victor's green eyes, but then he said, "I'm not personally involved with every council directive, Nathan. Worldwide conspiracies are too big for one person to know everything that's going on."

"I understand. Top secret. Need-to-know only."

Victor sighed, then placed his finger on Nathan's lower lip in a silencing gesture that made Nathan's heart skip a beat. It felt strange, heavy, and warm. Only self-discipline kept him from touching his tongue to it to taste it.

"Could you do something for me?" Victor asked.

Silence or speech? What did Victor want right now? Nathan decided to nod his head.

Of course he would grant Victor's request, no matter what it was. He would do anything.

Vic moved in so close that Nathan could nearly count his long, dark lashes and whispered, "Does she keep you under surveillance?" He took his finger away, and Nathan missed it instantly.

No need to ask which "she." _She_. The Director. The Alien Queen. In any case, that was definite permission to speak. "She once said she didn't, but I'm not sure she was telling the truth," Nathan whispered back. "You know she keeps everyone under surveillance. Hold on a moment." Nathan went to get his tape player and put it on the nearby table. He turned it on, and Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" blasted out. At Victor's raised eyebrow, Nathan said, "I play music now and then. It makes me feel better to think she can't hear me working. Besides, it gets too quiet here sometimes."

Victor's hand settled on Nathan's wrist in a comforting way before he said, "The... Alien Queen has a group that looks like a near duplicate of mine. There's a version of Mac, of Li Ann, and of me."

"Do you think she wants to use your doppelganger to take your place on the council? Use him as her mole?"

Victor looked relieved. "Yes. Yes, that's it exactly. I haven't had any luck finding out anything about them. But you're good at this sort of thing. Could you dig up information on them?"

"Yes, of course."

"The Director can't find out about this. You might be at risk if she did."

"I'm just happy to be helpful."

"That's great. I appreciate it. Thanks." Victor picked up the folders he'd come in for and left.

Nathan just sat there with what he was sure had to be a stupid smile on his face for about five minutes before he picked up the folders Victor hadn't needed and refiled them.

******************************************************

Mac and Li Ann met Vic in the hall but didn't talk to him until they were outside. "Did it work?" Mac asked. "Is he going to look into it?"

"Yeah. He agreed to it the moment I asked," Vic answered.

Mac smirked. "Really? Did you put out for him or something?"

"No. He thinks I'm part of the black helicopter brigade."

"He's delusional."

//Says the guy who works for a shadowy government agency. Nathan's not completely wrong. That doesn't mean he's not delusional, though.// "Anyway, he'd do anything for me," Victor said, feeling a sharp stab of guilt.

"And he has the world's biggest crush on you."

Guilt stabbed deeper at the memory of Nathan's narrow, bony face lighting up at Victor asking him for something. "Yeah."

"Maybe Nathan will have better luck finding information," Li Ann said. "I hate being left in the dark."

"Why so down, Vic?" Mac asked. "It's Nathan's job to research for us. We're just asking him for extracurricular research."

//I still feel like I'm using him, taking advantage of him.// Vic shook it off and tried to smile. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Nathan's there to be used," Mac said, and it took everything Vic had not to hit him.

"_Nobody_ is 'there to be--"

"Testy, Victor. You know what I mean."

"Do I? And you know what _I_ mean." //I'll make it up to Nathan. Not... like that, but somehow.//

 

### End


End file.
